Everything you would like to know about General Rochambeau and the American Revolution

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Ready to be dazzled? The Original Rochambeau Necklace

Feast your eyes on this gorgeous necklace designed and assembled by my husband, John.

Portrait by Rusty Dyer, Digidyer Productions

The story is that over the past several years, I received as gifts from John and Amy, my daughter, a few vintage fitted boxes of Rochambeau buttons, each with a set of 6 or so buttons of two sizes. I set them aside since they represent the hero of my book and the bicentennial of the battle of Yorktown. The buttons were made in Waterbury, CT, close to home.

Then last summer I got them out and said to John,”I would love to have a necklace fashioned of these buttons, but how?” I went to a jeweler who told me it would cost me well over one thousand to have them made up with gold chains etc. I said “No thanks”. I returned home with them. When John had time we found some gold parts ourselves. In a matter of hours, he put it together like the real ‘Can Do’ Sea Bee that he is. Et voila! I plan to wear it to a fancy dress 18th-century ball or maybe the grocery store.

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The author of the biography/military history, Washington's Ideal Lieutenant, A French General's Role in the American Revolution.
I am the wife of John Vail, mother of Heather, Amy and Rusty, grandmother of nine, retired French teacher. I did my graduate studies at Southern Ct State University as well as the Universities of Touraine and Bourgogne in France with extensive studies in French language and history.
I am a passionate writer of history and poetry. I also just finished writing a second book on my favorite French General, I titled: Rochambeau, Washington's Last, Best, Hope, and have two works in progress:
Within the Walls Mysteries, A Compilation of Not-by-Chance Meetings, a play: Conversations with Queen Alienor, featuring my ancestor, Alienor of Aquitaine, and my own cook book that I call Recipes and Menus, Quick, Easy and Healthy.
I served as a Commissioner for 14 years on the CT Governor's Advisory Commission on American and Francophone Cultural Affairs, Board Member of the Alliance Francaise of Northwest CT, member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Trumbull-Porter Chapter and 128 year old Literary Group.
I am currently a presenter on Rochambeau and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. I have combined my love of French and American History in the writing of this book.
Thank you for following my blog!